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Mrs Brown’s Boys star Brendan O’Carroll “implied” the N-word throughout rehearsals for the present’s Christmas particular, in accordance with stories.
Filming for the present’s Christmas particular was halted because the BBC carried out a probe into the incident, however no particulars of the extremely offensive slur got on the time.
It has now emerged that the comedian advised a joke alluding to the N-word in entrance of shocked colleagues.
Throughout a studying of the script whereas in character as Agnes Brown, the Day by day Mail reported that O’Carroll stated: “I don’t name a sp*** a sp***, I name a sp*** a…”
He then reportedly started to utter the N-word earlier than he was stopped by his on-screen daughter, who was additionally in character.
Witnesses of the incident had been reportedly shocked by the slur and “flagged [it] with the BBC afterwards”.
A consultant for O’Carroll advised the paper: “We might additionally wish to make clear that the “n” phrase was completely not spoken, it was implied. Agnes (Mrs Brown) started the phrase however was stopped from ending it by her daughter Cathy, as she (Mrs Brown) knew she can be.”
Along with the plain offence of the implied ‘N’ phrase, the usage of the time period “sp***”, a derogatory slur used in opposition to black individuals, can be deeply insulting.
The revelation has raised questions concerning the BBC’s dealing with of the incident. In preliminary statements, the broadcaster didn’t acknowledge how extreme the slur implied was.
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The BBC investigated the incident and quickly stopped rehearsals, which have since resumed on the company’s Pacific Quay studios in Glasgow. It’s understood that the specials are nonetheless scheduled to air on BBC One this festive season of their typical Christmas Day and New 12 months’s Day slots.
Mrs Brown’s Boys, with its distinctive humour, has been a divisive presence on the Christmas schedules for a few years, with O’Carroll taking part in matriarch Agnes Brown, and numerous members of his household making up the ensemble forged. A fifth full collection of has been commissioned and is ready to begin filming subsequent spring.
The Irish actor and author, 69, apologised on Tuesday, earlier than the character of the slur used got here to mild.
“At a read-through of the Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas specials, there was a careless try at a joke, within the character of Agnes, the place a racial time period was implied,” he stated. “It backfired and prompted offence which I deeply remorse and for which I’ve apologised.”
A BBC spokesperson stated on Tuesday: “Whereas we don’t touch upon people, the BBC is in opposition to all types of racism, and we now have sturdy processes in place ought to points ever come up.”
The Impartial has contacted representatives for Mr O’Carroll for remark.
